The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-10
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tation of Mr.. John Peirit, six miles
west of Pickens last Thursday after
noon, which resulted in the supden
death of Mr.. John j. Adcock. The
deceasedy just before, sundown, was
engaged in plewing near his house,
and took whet he supposed to be a
small piece OF the root of n parsnip
IN his mouth, chewed it O little and
spit 1t out He then experienced a
burning sensation in his mouth, but
thought little of it. On going to the
house the burning sensation incrons-
ed, he then took drink of water and
Immediately turned very sick, making
many attempts to vonait, and com
planned of pains in his stomach and
the burning sensation. He told his
wife that he had tasted wild parsnip.
DR.. Bramlctt was sent for with all
possible speed, but before he arrived
tho patient was dead, which was in
about two hours and thirty minutes
from the time he put the bit of root
III his mouth. He had several con
vulsions, and died with his hands
tightly clenched and mouth firmly
closed. He was young man of So
Der industrious habits, twcnty-four
years of age, and leaves wife and
one child.
The weed commonly known as
wild parsnip, is thus d scribed in
Taylors Medical Jurisprudence in
which it is called "Fool's Parsley" ="
or "Lesscr Hem0ck:"
"Fool's Parsley, or Lesser Hem
lock, is very common III gardens and
hcdgc-rows. The leaves so resemble
those of parsley that they have often
been gathered for them by mistake. !"
Symptoms and u2W"oyrW""&.-In
May, 1915, g.rl, aged five years, IN
good health, ate the bulbs Of the rthu-
sa by mistake foryoung turnips. She
was suddenly seized with pain in the
abdomen, followed by feeling Of
sickness; but she did not vomit. She
complained of feeling very i'll. On
trying to eat she could not swallow.
She was incapable Of answering qucs-
tons, and her countcnancc bore Il
wild expression. The lower jaw be
came fixed, 50 as to prevent anything
being introduced into the mouth
She then became inscnsiblr, and died
in an hour from the commencement Of
the symptoms; SO far rs could be as
ccrtainCh, there were no commissions.
A second child, aged three years,
shortly after cntinG the same sub
stance, WAS attacked with Oain in thc
stomach, sickness, vomiting, and pro.
fuse ptrspiration. She soon rccovcr-
cd, with the exception Of suffering
severe gripping rGiNs without p,rEin%;
but these disappeared on the follow
ing day. a third child, Of thc same
age, suffered from similar symptoms.
Recovery in the last two eases wa3
probably due to the rInnt having been
eaten ON a full stomach, and to The
effect Of early and copioUs vomiting.
.Ncr|i"W Times, .i"g. 5 1915, l"S.
This plant is Known from garden
parsley by lie smell ofits leaves when
rnhI'od, which is r"culi;r, d;Hr"re"a
bic, md very different from that pos
Srs%"d by tllc leaves Of parsley. The
leaves OF the FOOLS parsley aye finer,
more acute, and of darker Green
color. The seeds are also peculiar.
lis flower stem which is striptod or
slightly gronvci, Is easily known from
all other mhnlliIcrous plnuts by the
beard, or three long pcndulnus leaves
of the luvolucrlm under the flower.
The flowers are white; those of the
garden parsley arc Of pale yellow
color"
About 1857 or 1855, t"roe BOYS,
sons Of John Cranc, who were plow-
il the field, lost thGi: lives near
this place, by eating n piece of this
weed.
Since the above was put IN type,
the root from which Mr.. Ad",ck ct
has been found which proves his
statement to his wife.